Rome (AsiaNews) – The Jesuit community today received the Pope’s condolences as well as the “Holy See’s gratitude” for the commitment of Fr. Franco Belfiori, who died on November 11th after a long illness at the age of 82. Over 50 years of his life spent in Taiwan and then Hong Kong, he was one of the first to rebuild relations with the Chinese Church in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution and the death of Mao Zedong.
Msgr. Fernando Filoni, Substitute Secretary of State who presided over this morning’s funeral in the Jesù church, presented Benedict XVI’s condolences, reading from a telegram sent by the Secretary of State which expressed the Holy See’s gratitude as well as his own for the missionary work of Fr. Belfiori. During the ‘90’s, msgr. Filoni, was sent to Hong Kong by the Holy See on a Mission of Study of China and counted on the friendship and expertise of Fr. Belfiori in introducing him into the world of the Chinese Church.
Relatives of the deceased missionary were present at this morning’s ceremony, at the end of which a fellow Jesuit recalled Fr. Belfiori’s zeal, above all during his Hong Kong period when he dedicated himself to restoring contact with the many priests in the Church in China, aiding their needs and seeking their release from prison. The priest cited some of the many messages which had arrived from China expressing their prayers and gratitude for all that Fr. Belfiori had done for the Chinese Church.
Many priests from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) were among this morning’s congregation, having met and worked with him in Hong Kong. Among these Fr. Fernando Galbiati, whose Kowloon City parish of Our Lady of Good Advice was a stones throw from the Jesuit house of Argyle Street, Hong Kong.
“He always took part in important parish celebrations, often accompanied by the Holy See representative – recalls Fr. Galbiati – and it was difficult not to succumb to his kind and gentle manner”. Fr. Galbiati adds that the Jesuit missionary became “the reference point and resident expert for many journalists and scholars of Chinese culture from all over the world, who never failed to visit him when they were in Hong Kong, to learn more from him or exchange their views and arguments with him on the issue of the great communist empire”. Fr. Galbiati also recalled Fr. Belfiori’s pastoral dedication towards the sisters of Mother Teresa and the poor children of Hong Kong.
Fr. Franco Belfiori was also a dear friend and supporter of AsiaNews.
